Cold Steel Bowie

Kabar Big Brother

Other (Please, do tell)

Neither (Save Your Money/They are both Junk)

Howdy y'all. This Spring has turned up a surge of local events to vend at, and we have been able to expand our shop from purely living history into the bushcraft sphere! I recently got hooked up with a knife wholesaler that is giving me access to some more name brand items, and I am wanting to add a Bowie to the table next time we set up (very visually appealing in these parts).

I have a Ka Bar but that is just a Marine thing.. Have snapped the tip off one a long time ago..
Have one of cold steels kukuri.. It has stood up to a couple years of my abuse.. Was inexpensive and the steel seemed servicable.. Would like to get one of the neapalese ones, however, Iam cautious of purchasing something and finding it wholey unservasable to my rough needs..

How would your ancestors look upon your life and deed's??
Pro Libertate

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it... Proverbs 22:3

I have the KA-BAR big brother and KA-BAR fighting knives they are made in the USA still in Olean NY.
Some of Cold Steel knives are made in china.

Last edited: May 14, 2016

"Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."
-
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

If you are planning to become a sales outlet for knives, go with the k-bar. The Bowie is entirely too much of a niche item, probably will not turn over enough to cover the inventory costs.
That said, if you are well into the reenactment scene with customers limited to that genre, well, make sure the Bowie is historically accurate (the one you picture is not) and go Jim's fave.

I kind of agree with ghrit. It is the customer that makes the sale, so the product should fit his (or her) preference.
And any Bowie offered should be historically accurate unless there is an overriding consideration.

The K Bar is a well-designed combat/utility knife. I have found it so useful that it's the only knife I wear.
The Bowie seems designed almost exclusively for fighting, and I have found them awkward to use in some cases.

I would buy the Bowie over the K-Bar... It has more utility to me than an over sizes hunting knife in a survival situation... now if it was for a Fighting knife I would select neither of the two knives... But that's just my opinion...

In the matter of allies only two things are important. First, can he shoot? Second, will he aim at your enemy?

Ideas are more important then guns. If we wouldn’t let our opponents have guns, why would we let them have ideas? -Joseph Stalin

The Bowie Knife and the Arkansas Toothpick
I've always been partial to the Arkansas toothpick myself. It fits better with my style and skill set.
However, i agree, it is your customer base that will decide if you win or lose your bet. Ask your customers which they would be intrested in spending money on.

“Man’s mind is his basic tool of survival. Life is given to him, survival is not. His body is given to him, its sustenance is not. His mind is given to him, its content is not. To remain alive, he must act, and before he can act he must know the nature and purpose of his action. He cannot obtain his food without a knowledge of food and of the way to obtain it. He cannot dig a ditch-or build a cyclotron-without a knowledge of his aim and of the means to achieve it. To remain alive, he must think." John Galt (Ayn Rand)

Patents are not evil, profit is not a dirty word, providing for your family's future is not a sin, and what is mine is not your's just because you want it. Kellory.I have received NO secret government orders.(Watch for this notice to be removed)

It was a double edged throwing knife that rode between your shoulder blades, in a sheath beneath your shirt. It was a concealed carry weapon, and sharp enough to cut a passing thought in twain. Diamond in cross section, needle point.
I have a boot knife, much like it, but poorly balanced for throwing.
Edit: you could have followed the link i provided...

“Man’s mind is his basic tool of survival. Life is given to him, survival is not. His body is given to him, its sustenance is not. His mind is given to him, its content is not. To remain alive, he must act, and before he can act he must know the nature and purpose of his action. He cannot obtain his food without a knowledge of food and of the way to obtain it. He cannot dig a ditch-or build a cyclotron-without a knowledge of his aim and of the means to achieve it. To remain alive, he must think." John Galt (Ayn Rand)

Patents are not evil, profit is not a dirty word, providing for your family's future is not a sin, and what is mine is not your's just because you want it. Kellory.I have received NO secret government orders.(Watch for this notice to be removed)

I'm partial to a both @kel. But I can only sell what is on the market, and I have to be able to do something resembling competing with it.
I've got some other knives on the list to balance things out (EDC-legal Mora, some machetes, another couple of sheath blades), I'm just looking for opinions between the two to balance it out with a larger knife that'll catch some eyes. Looking mostly at these as bushcraft/SHTF blades, for someone looking between the Mora and the Machete with some style. (haha).

I got to say, balancing cost and profit and 9000 other things, I can see why they call it work. I'll try and snap y'all a pic soon of the booth...I wasn't about to pay $120 for no sun shade, so I took a trade hawk out, and put paid to enough saplings to throw a shelter together in the parking lot! Haha. I got to tell you, it is fun though.

I think I could get one of those Kabar's in like that at similar pricing...Might be worth it? Nice looking...

I also saw the I can get those fancy Japanese blades I have seen reviewed on here (I think it's them)...Kanetsune Seki brand?

I've had a lot of bad luck buying from "smiths" overseas. Made me VERY leering of sending them any business.

I have posted this before and I am sure Cold Steel is much better even if some are made in china but this is one of many reasons I stay away from chinese items that may need to be depended upon.

Skip ahead to about 2:30.

"Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet."
-
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

I have a marine combat k-bar knife viet nam era that i keep razor sharp. its for cutting anything and I mean anything but only when I run out of ammo and have to get up close . I might be old but us old timers have at least 3 minutes of fight left in us but it will be a down and dirty 3 minutes---sorry I somehow lost the last post trying to edit a wrong word

its better to have and not need than need and not have
the pin is mightier than the sword ONLY if the pin is a firing pin on a gun
I'm just a Raging Cajun
hope for the best-prepare for the worst

I have an Old school Cold Steel Tanto from the early eighties that is my preferred carry knife, when I camp I have a 1960's Western Bowie or a Tomahawk for large stuff (Building shelter fire making and an old Schrade sharp finger for other things...

In the matter of allies only two things are important. First, can he shoot? Second, will he aim at your enemy?

Ideas are more important then guns. If we wouldn’t let our opponents have guns, why would we let them have ideas? -Joseph Stalin

@stg58-Yeah...that ain't the same thing, I am aware at how bad most of that stuff is. One of the reasons I am down to a few choices is because I am only planning on buying things I have either tested myself, or have a very informed opinion as to their holding up.

@doc-thanks to my 18th century living history, I am normally barking up a tree close to the one you are. I normally carry a tomahawk and a "long knife" into the brush, as well as a work knife. I'm traditionally a really big fan of bowies, but I had to adapt a little doing reenactments 100 years before they were invented. Haha.

@stg58-Yeah...that ain't the same thing, I am aware at how bad most of that stuff is. One of the reasons I am down to a few choices is because I am only planning on buying things I have either tested myself, or have a very informed opinion as to their holding up.

@doc-thanks to my 18th century living history, I am normally barking up a tree close to the one you are. I normally carry a tomahawk and a "long knife" into the brush, as well as a work knife. I'm traditionally a really big fan of bowies, but I had to adapt a little doing reenactments 100 years before they were invented. Haha.

Click to expand...

You could go period legal and handy with a "Hanger"

“Man’s mind is his basic tool of survival. Life is given to him, survival is not. His body is given to him, its sustenance is not. His mind is given to him, its content is not. To remain alive, he must act, and before he can act he must know the nature and purpose of his action. He cannot obtain his food without a knowledge of food and of the way to obtain it. He cannot dig a ditch-or build a cyclotron-without a knowledge of his aim and of the means to achieve it. To remain alive, he must think." John Galt (Ayn Rand)

Patents are not evil, profit is not a dirty word, providing for your family's future is not a sin, and what is mine is not your's just because you want it. Kellory.I have received NO secret government orders.(Watch for this notice to be removed)

@AxesAreBetter
The first post indicates that you have already decided on one of two knives for stocking and sales. Do you want more suggestions? One, a sword, has already been deleted. We can bring it back if you would like to see it and other alternates.